About this code
The Ethical Code for Oral History Netherlands is the result of the collective efforts of a large group of creators, custodians and users of oral histories in the Netherlands. It originated in the StoRe project, a collaboration between Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (principal investigator), the Dutch national oral history hub “Sprekende geschiedenis” and DANS-KNAW, and supported by the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute. StoRe aimed to identify the barriers that hinder the sustainable archiving and reuse of oral history interviews. In collaboration with researchers, community archive practitioners and heritage professionals, we then sought to develop appropriate solutions.
Many of these barriers had underlying ethical dimensions. To support those involved in oral history projects and collections in making well-founded ethical decisions, the first version of this code was presented within StoRe in December 2025.
The Ethical Code for Oral History Netherlands is based on existing ethical codes for oral history from abroad, recent literature and, above all, the generous voluntary contributions made by people from the Dutch research community and heritage sector throughout all stages of the StoRe project. Our thanks go out to everyone who contributed ideas during the StoRe networking afternoon on 7 March 2025 at Bibliotheek Neude in Utrecht, to all who shared their experiences and insights online in the spring of 2025 by completing the questionnaire, to the participants in the group discussions and individual interviews, and to everyone who responded to the first draft of this code during the public feedback round in September 2025.
The Ethical Code for Oral History Netherlands is a living document. Periodically, the Code needs to be revised due to societal, cultural, and technological developments that influence the ethically responsible creation, preservation and reuse of oral history. Practical application of the Code may likewise reveal the need for amendments. The Oral history working group of the Huizinga Institute and “Sprekende geschiedenis” have agreed to organise an annual public consultation round to gather feedback from the field, review this with experts, and incorporate any necessary changes into the Code.
